ORLANDO, Fla. — Wearing a T-shirt, shorts, comfortable deck shoes and a friendly smile, Kevin Demoff didn’t sport the typical appearance of this country’s only top executive of five major sports teams.
Then again, that down-to-earth quality is one reason why Demoff became not only president of the NFL Los Angeles Rams for going on 16 years, but also of the Stan and Josh Kroenke Sports & Entertainment conglomerate that owns the NBA Denver Nuggets, the NHL Colorado Avalanche, the Major League Soccer Colorado Rapids and the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth.
It’s a title that would fit no desk, which is why Demoff has been spending the past few weeks working at Ball Arena without a desk.
“I just pull my laptop out wherever I may be,’’ Demoff said here from the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Grand Lakes resort, where the NFL is holding its annual owners' meetings Sunday through Tuesday.
Demoff helped build the Rams’ organization into 2021 Super Bowl champions. And now, the Kroenkes assigned him to oversee the operations of the 2022 Stanley Cup-champion Avalanche and the 2023 NBA-champion Nuggets.
“The DNA when you look at the teams is very similar,’’ Demoff said. “You have first-time head coaches, whether it was Sean McVay or Jared Bednar or Michael Malone getting a chance with the Nuggets to rebuild his career.
“And then GMs who played the game, whether it was Joe Sakic or Calvin (Booth) or Les Snead. And then each having a couple homegrown stars. We had Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Jamal Murray and (Nikola) Jokic.
“All very different paths to titles. But very similar DNA which was, if you were within the organization that was what Stan and Josh to their credit wanted to model in how they built it.
“And then when you’re close to a title, giving you every resource available to go chase it. When you understand similar DNAs and philosophies, trying to get the teams to cross-promote. Even last summer when we scrimmaged the Broncos, we had both front offices, the Nuggets and the Avs, at those scrimmages. Collecting, sharing notes. We’ve been each other’s draft rooms. So, this is a great way to help formulize some of that and see where they can grow on their own.”
The Avalanche, winners of nine in a row, are one point off the NHL Western Conference’s No. 1 seed with 11 regular-season games remaining. The Nuggets are in a virtual tie with Oklahoma City for the No. 1 seed in the NBA Western Conference with 11 games remaining.
Is Demoff optimistic about a double-championship June parade in downtown Denver?
“Clearly both teams are playing well,’’ Demoff said. “The Avs since the trading deadline and the moves they made and how they’re playing, the Nuggets, optimistic. But I think any team that’s won a championship knows you want to not only be playing great at the end of the year, but you need to stay healthy.
“We have such an amazing home-ice and home-court advantage at Ball Arena. You want to continue to play for those high seeds while staying healthy. It’s a great time to be optimistic in Denver and great to see the Rapids playing well as well at the start of their journey this year. I think from the Denver fan perspective, it’s good. And then baseball starts next week so there’s a lot going on.”
Demoff is now a Denver guy, and he’ll show it by going to the Rockies’ home opener Friday, April 5, against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I am going to Opening Day,’’ Demoff said. “I am a Denver guy just as I am an L.A. guy now.’’
More from Mike Klis:
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports
